Did China give Iran intel before US base strike that killed 3 troops? Trump says, 'You’re right...'

Chinese entities reportedly supplied Iran with high-quality satellite imagery of US Air Force base in Jordan before and after Tehran's July 17 ballistic missile attack that killed three American troops. However, US President Donald trump downplayed the development, and insisted that both China and the US “spy” on each other. The claims was made in a Wall Street Journal report, in which it cited US officials familiar with the matter, without naming them.

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US officials called it the clearest evidence yet that Chinese support for Iran during the conflict contributed to the deaths of US troops. However, they stopped short of accusing Beijing of directly participating in the attack, The Wall Street Journal reported. Senior US officials raised the issue of the imagery with their Chinese counterparts, but Beijing rejected the allegation and asked Washington to provide evidence, The Wall Street Journal reported citing sources.

Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base was attacked on July 17 three times within 24 hours. Iranian ballistic missiles struck a housing area where US troops were sleeping, killing 3. They were the first US military fatalities in the Iran war since a 60-day ceasefire agreed in April. The three killed were identified as Lt Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Pvt Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas; and Sgt Angel S Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York. Incidentally, evidence of Iran's use of Chinese technology had emerged months before the deadly attack. The Financial Times reported in April that Iran was using a Chinese-built and launched spy satellite purchased by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Force from Earth Eye Co. in late 2024.

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How Trump reacted?

US President Donald Trump downplayed reports that Chinese entities supplied Tehran with satellite images of a military base in Jordan before and after an Iranian strike killed three US soldiers. "You know, when they say that China spies on us, I say you're right, and we spy on them too," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One a day after The Wall Street Journal reported Beijing's intelligence sharing. "That's what we do. They basically do what we do," Trump said. Iran again targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on September 10, with the latest strike reportedly damaging several US aircraft. Trump, however, denied that any US planes were damaged.